Embodiments relate to an air conditioner and a method of controlling the same.
Generally, an air conditioner is an apparatus that cools or heats air within an inner space of a building, etc. Today, a multi air conditioner that can independently cool or heat separated rooms of an indoor space in order to further efficiently cool and heat the indoor space partitioned into the plurality of rooms is being continuously developed.
The air conditioner includes an outdoor unit provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor unit provided with an indoor heat exchanger.
In case where the air conditioner operates in a cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator. On the other hand, in case where the air conditioner operates in a heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger functions as the evaporator, and the indoor heat exchanger functions as the condenser.
When a heating operation of the air conditioner starts, an indoor linear expansion valve is opened, and a refrigerant flows. A controller transmits a driving signal to a compressor. After the compressor receives the driving signal, the compressor operates after a predetermined time passes. This is done because a communication time and a waiting time for stably driving the compressor are required.
Thus, according to the related art air conditioner, since the heating operation of the compressor starts, and then, the compressor operates after the predetermined time passes, a pressure of an outlet side pressure of the compressor is low, and thus, a pressure of a gaseous refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger functioning as the condenser is low. Therefore, the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger is not condensed and is exhausted in a gaseous state. In addition, since the refrigerant in the gaseous state passes through the opened indoor linear expansion valve, a noise occurs.